Recipes · Mains · Vegan

Charred Carrots, Date & Tahini

A dish built entirely from the desert: blistered carrots, whipped tahini, and the deep caramel sweetness of Medjool dates. It is the kind of plate I return to again and again at private dinners across the valley — humble ingredients, treated with care.

Ingredients

• 1 lb slender carrots, scrubbed, tops trimmed
• 2 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil, plus more to finish
• ½ cup tahini
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 4 Medjool dates, pitted and torn
• 2 tbsp dukkah
• Flaky sea salt and fresh herbs, to finish

Method

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the carrots with olive oil and a good pinch of salt, then roast on a sheet pan for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until deeply charred and tender.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the tahini with lemon juice, grated garlic, and 3–4 tablespoons cold water until pale and spoonable. Season with salt.
3. Spread the whipped tahini across a serving plate. Pile the warm carrots on top.
4. Scatter over the torn dates and dukkah. Finish with a thread of olive oil, flaky salt, and herbs. Serve warm.

Chef's note

If your market has rainbow or baby carrots, use them — the varied char looks beautiful against the pale tahini. The dates do the work of sugar here, so there's no need for anything else.

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